Chapter 25: It Is Time for You to Die

Seeing that Lian Fei had been brought in by the Chairperson herself, the group was collectively stunned.

"Is everyone ready?" the Chairperson asked.

"Always ready!" the strike team replied in unison.

"Very well," the Chairperson nodded. She gestured to the weapons logistics officer and added, "Give Lian Fei a set of gear... Lian Fei, hurry up and get geared up."

Lian Fei did not dare to delay. She took the equipment and headed into the temporary changing room. To ensure safety, members of the strike team wore specialized combat suits. In addition to their personal mechs, they were equipped with laser pistols, daggers, grenades, and other weapons. The combat suits were outfitted with defensive fields capable of resisting attacks from S-class species, and both the chest plate and helmet were equipped with recording devices to document everything that transpired during the mission.

As soon as Lian Fei put on the helmet, lines of data appeared before her eyes—the status of the suit's defenses and a brief overview of the surrounding environment. The information was comprehensive, but it was slightly obstructive. Lian Fei wanted to turn it off, but she did not know how. She dared not move rashly, fearing she might break something.

"Hello, I am Morning Star. It is a pleasure to serve you." A voice with a synthesized electronic tone sounded in her ear.

Lian Fei was startled, but she quickly recalled what Morning Star was. It was an artificial intelligence developed by the Federation specifically to assist in military operations. While there were other AIs serving various industries, all of them were under the jurisdiction of Morning Star.

"I want to turn off the data in front of me; it’s blocking my view," Lian Fei said.

"Understood. I will close all windows for you," Morning Star replied. The next second, all the data vanished from Lian Fei’s field of vision. "If you need to view any data, you can ask me."

Lian Fei acknowledged this with a nod. She walked out of the changing room to find that the entire strike team had already boarded the starship, leaving only her behind. She glanced at the Chairperson, but the Chairperson was busy speaking with military commanders from several districts and did not notice her. Lian Fei then looked at the Tenth District military commander standing to the side. He only glanced at her, scoffed, and turned away.

Lian Fei sighed helplessly. She trotted onto the starship, and as soon as she entered, she felt a wave of malice. She scanned the room; the nine people inside looked at her with a mix of curiosity and scrutiny. As for that intense malice... Lian Fei looked at a girl in the corner. If she remembered correctly, this girl was named Lin Ying.

She was from the First District. Hadn't she attacked her before? Some kind of 3S-class confusion attack? She didn't understand it; it made no sense. She also had no idea why there was so much hostility toward her. Lian Fei ignored her and found an empty seat to sit down. Although she intended to keep a low profile, that didn't mean she was a pushover who would let others bully her. If people didn't provoke her, she wouldn't provoke them.

Lian Fei glanced at Lin Ying, then adjusted the recording device on her chest to aim directly at her. Lin Ying froze. Lian Fei closed her eyes, the corners of her mouth curling up in a smug expression. She had the recorder on; if she were forced to fight back later, it wouldn't be her fault. Still, 3S-class... that sounded tricky. She wondered if anyone else present was 3S-class. Probably not; if there were, wouldn't that shatter the Federation’s claim that 3S-class psychics were rare? Tch, 3S-class—it sounded so prestigious. Why couldn't she be 3S-class? Lian Fei felt incredibly jealous.

While Lian Fei was lost in thought, the starship took off. Aside from Lin Ying, no one else paid any more attention to her. She was unique, but not unique enough to hold their interest.

The starship flew steadily toward Whale Star. As it breached the atmosphere, the ship began to shake. Lian Fei opened her eyes, just about to ask what was happening, when the turbulence intensified. It felt as if something was attacking them. Red warning lights flickered, and the emergency collision alarm wailed urgently.

Lian Fei looked out the window and saw a swarm of flying insects circling them. Their bodies were long and massive, pitch black and gleaming. Their heads were perfect spheres, topped with eight irregularly distributed compound eyes. A long, sharp stinger protruded from the junction of the head and neck. On their backs were six translucent, teardrop-shaped wings. They fluttered with a rustling sound so loud it made Lian Fei’s skin crawl.

"Mosquitos," the boy sitting next to Lian Fei said. "An A-class flying-type predatory insectoid." He paused, then frowned. "Strange. The environment on Whale Star shouldn't be suitable for them... it should even be difficult for them to breed there. Why are there so many?"

Lian Fei raised an eyebrow. She didn't understand, but it sounded serious.

"Julian, stop reciting a textbook. You're giving me a headache," the boy sitting diagonally across from Lian Fei said impatiently.

Julian glanced at him. "I am not reciting a textbook, Myuka. Furthermore, knowledge about insectoids is important. You should study properly instead of slacking off. If I recall correctly, your grade in cultural studies last year was zero..."

Myuka immediately interrupted him loudly, "Alright, alright! Julian, we get it, you're smart!"

Julian pursed his lips, stopped speaking, and continued to look out the window. "The weakness of a Mosquito is its beak. If you snap its beak, it will die instantly," Julian added. "However, their beaks have high defensive capabilities and are not easily broken."

"As expected of the famous encyclopedia of Kongsang Military Academy; you really do have all the knowledge about insectoids at your fingertips," a girl sitting near the cockpit laughed.

"Not Kongsang Military Academy," Julian said. "I’m participating in this year’s Eden."

The girl was stunned. Myuka looked at him in surprise. "I thought you were joking?"

Julian looked at Myuka. "I never joke."

Myuka curled his lip. "Then if you end up dying by my hand, I won't feel guilty."

Julian shrugged, indicating he didn't care.

"It seems this year's Eden will be very interesting," the girl giggled. She looked at Lian Fei and asked, "Hey, what’s your name?"

After that question, everyone on the starship turned to look at Lian Fei in unison. Lian Fei felt a chill down her spine from the synchronized gaze, and she couldn't help but curl her toes in her boots.

"My name is Lian Fei," she said, raising her hand and waving slightly. "Hello, everyone."

The girl let out a long, drawn-out "Oh." "You’re from the Tenth District..."

"Gaisero Star," Lian Fei added immediately.

"Oh!" the girl nodded. "Doesn't matter."

"Huh?" Lian Fei was bewildered.

"Anyway, you’re about to die." The smile on the girl's face turned ferocious.

Before Lian Fei could react, she saw the starship door open. In the next second, she was violently grabbed and thrown out. As she fell, she looked back at everyone in the starship; they were all staring at her with cold, indifferent eyes. Only Lin Ying wore a mocking smirk. Just before the cabin door shut, Lian Fei saw Lin Ying cough up blood.